Dexter: "Thanks to stinging nettles, I'm itch-free!"

Having home remedies on hand to treat your dogs' minor mishaps will allow you to give them quick relief while also saving money on vet bills and, in some cases, avoiding harsh medications. Just be sure to seek professional veterinary help if the home remedy isn't effective within a reasonable time period.

Arnica Montana: If I were on a desert island and could have only one natural remedy with me, it would be arnica. Homeopathic arnica is perfect for any traumatic injury, large or small. If I see one of my dogs limping, out comes the arnica. Ditto if someone takes a tumble. Arnica speeds healing big-time. You can bet that Rowdy got arnica several times a day after his recent surgery. The only tricky thing about arnica is that as a homeopathic remedy, it's very fragile energetically, so you can't touch it with your fingers―you have to get it into your dog's mouth via the lid of the container or a spoon. Homeopathic remedies are supposed to dissolve in your mouth, so unless you have arnica in a granular form, you'll need to crush the small tablets between two spoons and then just dump the powder into your dog's mouth, holding it shut for a second so that the remedy gets moistened and sticks to your dog's tongue. (Homeopathic remedies don't taste bad, so there's no problem there.) You also have to avoid giving homeopathic remedies within 15 minutes of a meal (because of their fragility). If all this sounds like voodoo, then please just suspend your disbelief―once you've seen how effective homeopathic remedies can be, you'll be a believer.

Calendula: This gentle herb is great for any type of skin rash or irritation. You can get it in liquid form or as an ointment.

Coconut Oil: Luscious coconut oil can be eaten as food or used topically―either way, its secret ingredient, caprylic acid, is going to do battle with yeast. This would be a good thing to feed to dogs with yeasty ears or a yeast overgrowth on their skin. The dosage is 1 teaspoonful per 10 pounds of bodyweight per day. It's pretty fattening, though, so you would need to cut back somewhere else in the diet.

Colloidal Silver: One health-care provider told me that colloidal silver can actually purify sewage. I believe it. It kills bacteria, so it's great to put on small cuts and wounds. Just make sure that you get a reputable brand.

Eyebright (aka Euphrasia): This aptly named herb is great for irritated, red eyes. You can give it to your dogs orally in capsule form and also topically as a popular form of homeopathic eye drops known as Similasan. This double whammy will clear up most garden-variety cases of red eyes without having to resort to antibiotics.

Hydrogen Peroxide: If you see your dog eat something that you know is going to be harmful, such as chewing gum containing xylitol or a hunk of plastic, you want to induce vomiting ASAP. The best way, in my view, is to administer hydrogen peroxide. A tablespoonful for a large dog, less for a smaller dog. It will take up to 10 minutes before your dog actually vomits―just wait for it.

Melatonin: For dogs with thunderstorm anxiety, nothing beats melatonin, which is a synthetic version of a natural hormone that regulates sleep. It can really take the edge off the fear of thunderstorms and calm dogs right down. The dosage is 6 mg for 100+-lb. dogs; 3 mg for 50-lb. dogs; 1.5 mg for 30-lb. dogs; and 0.5 mg for 10-lb. dogs. A very small percentage of dogs might have the opposite reaction (excitement) when given melatonin, so test it out when there is no sign of a thunderstorm in sight.

Pet Calm: This classic combination of herbs, homeopathic remedies, vitamins, and minerals can be used in any situation that is going to evoke anxiety, whether it's a car trip, a trip to the vet, or construction workers on the roof. Give it 20 minutes prior to the stress-inducing event.

Slippery Elm: The herb to reach for at the onset of intestinal distress, such as diarrhea, slippery elm soothes and coats the intestinal walls. I have Rowdy on this right now for his inflammatory bowel disease.

Stinging Nettles: For dogs with that summertime itch, stinging nettles are just the ticket. They have a natural anti-histamine effect, similar to Benedryl but without the drowsiness. I give Dexter two capsules every morning and evening, but for small dogs, like Theresa, who also suffers from the itchies, you can just open up a capsule and pour a small amount into their food. Stinging nettles are also a very nutritious plant loaded with calcium.

Styptic Powder: An essential grooming accessory, this is a must-have for anyone who trims dogs' nails, no matter how good at it they are. When a nail accidentally gets trimmed too close and bleeds, styptic powder can staunch the bleeding very quickly, so it's good to keep it on hand, just in case.

Vanilla Soy Ice Cream: Something I learned recently, when researching seizures after Chihuahua Theresa's recent seizure episode, is that in the aftermath of a seizure, a dog is at risk for a second one because his or her blood sugar drops so dramatically during the initial one. The best way to prevent a second seizure is to immediately offer something sweet and fatty―like ice cream.

Veterinarian's Best Hot Spot Spray: I like this product for sudden hotspots or other skin irritations. It contains aloe vera, tea tree oil, and chamomile; soothes the skin with an anti-itch effect; smells great; and, best of all, isn't tested on animals!

Yellow Dock: This herb will kill ear mites while having a gentler effect on the ear tissue than the standard ear ointment administered by veterinarians, which can sting inflamed ear canals. Before applying the yellow dock, fill a small dropper bottle with olive oil and the contents of one 400 I.U. capsule of vitamin E, and apply a half-dropperful of this mixture into the ears every other day for three treatments. This will smother the adult mites and soothe the ear tissue. Then, as the remaining eggs hatch, apply a tincture of yellow dock into the ear canals every three days for four weeks to kill the "newborn" mites.

Good luck and good health to you and your pups!